The Healer (Black Arrowhead #8)

Chapter 1

Some people read to escape, but life has always been my escape.

After skimming through a book on historical paintings, I tucked it back on the bookshelf and heaved a sigh. Book Haven was the only bookstore in town, and since I didn’t own a car, it was exciting to have more businesses within walking distance.

I leaned in and smelled the books.

“Did you find anything?” the bookshop owner asked.

I jerked my head back and grinned sheepishly at Cecilia. “Nothing today. I’d buy something else, but I’m not much of a reader.”

When she folded her arms, the miscellaneous charms on her bracelet caught my attention.

Cecilia gave a defeated look and stared at the shelf.

“I tried locating the books you requested about stained glass, but those were the only new art books I could find. I’m sorry if they don’t have anything you can use. ”

“No biggie. Maybe in the next shipment.”

“Perhaps.” Briefly distracted by a customer walking in, she turned in a circle and then lowered her arms. “I’m going to make it my mission to find the books you need. Can I have your number?”

“Of course you can!”

“Follow me. I don’t have my phone with me, so you’ll have to write it down the old-fashioned way.”

While I could’ve taken her number instead and sent a message to her phone, I decided to let Cecilia make that decision since she was the one who asked.

“Your store has good energy.” I trailed behind the quiet shopkeeper, watching her ponytail swing like a pendulum. She was part of the Arrowhead pack, and I’d attended a peace party on their property earlier in the year. Boy, they had an enormous house, not to mention plenty of beautiful windows.

“Grab a sucker before you leave!” Cecilia leaned over the corner desk by the entrance and searched a drawer. She seemed oblivious that her mate was standing in an aisle to our left. He winked at me before pressing a finger to his lips.

After taking an orange-flavored sucker from the jar and putting it in my pocket, I smiled at her raggedy black lace-up boots beneath her long green skirt. They looked like they’d survived both World Wars, but in the country, people often wore practical clothing.

The blond man, who only had one arm, sneaked up behind her and stood very quietly.

“Voilà!” she said before straightening up. When she spun around and bumped into her mate, she gasped. “Archer! You scared me to death.”

He tucked her against him. “Didn’t mean to, sweetheart.”

“What are you doing here?”

He retrieved a phone from the front pocket of his jeans. “You left this at home. I know you’re expecting a call from that dealer.”

“You’re a lifesaver.”

Archer smelled strongly of coconut, probably from body oil. The skin on his tanned arm had a glow, and bodybuilders loved oiling themselves up. I could tell he worked out, and someone mentioned in the bar how he owned a gym.

After a sweet hug but no kiss, they separated just as the main door opened and two familiar faces entered.

“Gracious! It’s chilly out there,” a gorgeous blonde exclaimed. She adjusted the fuzzy white blanket around her toddler, and when she spotted me, her blue eyes sparkled. “Quinn! I haven’t seen you in ages. How are you, honey?”

People always recognized me because of my red hair.

Although her curvy figure and movie-star features were familiar from previous encounters, I drew a blank on her name.

I’d seen her around town, and we spoke once when she was filling in for Cecilia, but that was ages ago.

Now I felt like a real dum-dum that I couldn’t recall her name. “Hi. It’s amazing to see you again!”

Amazing? Why am I trying so hard?

Cecilia stroked the toddler’s wispy blond hair. “What are you doing here, Joy?”

Joy, Joy, Joy. Put her name to memory. I need to remember people’s names if I expect to grow my business.

While I silently reprimanded myself, Joy passed her little one over to Cecilia, and the baby instantly grasped her ponytail.

I drew closer and smiled at the cheerful little girl, who squawked and babbled and giggled.

Despite her hazel eyes and straight blond hair, she resembled her mother.

Same cheeks, same smile, same bubbly personality.

After losing interest in Cecilia’s hair, she patted her own head and tugged at the pink bow.

Joy moved her hand away and kissed her fingers. “Mommy told you not to do that.” She chuckled softly. “Her hair’s getting so long. I need to trim around her eyes, but I’m afraid of messing it up.”

“How old is she?”

“Thirteen months.”

I didn’t know all that much about babies and when they hit their milestones. “Does she talk?”

Joy laughed. “Gracious no, but she’s learning to imitate sounds and babbles a lot. You should hear her at the dinner table. She usually repeats the same words: mama, papa, no—that’s her favorite word—and more. She always wants more pears.”

“Is she walking yet?” I asked, taking the girl’s hand and planting a noisy kiss on it, which made her giggle.

“Not yet. She’s a crawler, but her papa and I aren’t eager to start chasing her all over the house.” Joy unwrapped the blanket and lowered her to the floor. “Show everyone how you can stand!”

The toddler wobbled while gripping her mother’s hands. Her sky-blue dress had a pink heart stitched on the front, and her tights matched. The entire ensemble seemed carefully chosen, right down to her fancy blue shoes with pink hearts.

As soon as her mother let her sit on the floor, the little girl crawled away in a flash.

“Violet!” Joy called out, prompting the girl to crawl faster and shriek with laughter.

Suddenly the baby seemed to vanish, her clothes and pink bow left in a heap as a white puppy with one black ear appeared and went barreling down the aisle.

My eyes widened at the wolf, who barked at Archer before snagging his pant leg.

Joy watched me apprehensively, and now I worried my reaction might’ve inadvertently offended her.

“I’m sorry,” I quickly said, deliberately holding eye contact so she could see my sincerity. “I’ve never seen a baby shift before, so it caught me off guard. She’s adorable.”

Her worried countenance transitioned to relief, and she smiled at the darling pup that was savagely attacking Archer while he casually pulled a book from the shelf.

“Violet’s special. We only recently began introducing her in town, and it’s daunting to think how people might react to a baby shifting.

I want everyone to love her as much as we do.

People are cruel to those who are different. ”

“Not everyone’s narrow-minded.”

“True, but no one’s more dangerous than the ones who are.”

Violet danced around her packmate, who smiled down at her. “Are pears her craving? You said she loves them.”

“Actually, it’s salami. Now that she’s eating solids, she doesn’t have to suffer through a craving she can’t have. She used to cry a lot after shifting back. We didn’t make the connection at first, and then I realized it had to do with her craving. I brought some in my purse today, just in case.”

“She’s so lucky,” I said absently. When I caught Joy’s inquisitive stare, I elaborated. “What I mean is, she’s lucky she can heal herself. That must be every parent’s fear—watching their child get hurt.”

Joy touched the exquisite dragonfly pendant around her neck.

The diamonds sparkled in the light. “It’s a relief, but we’re still so very careful.

Babies are unpredictable and get into everything.

Her wolf is always chewing on things she shouldn’t, so we have to be mindful about securing cords and not leaving anything on the floor she might choke on or swallow. It’s enough to give me an ulcer.”

A cool wind blustered through the door when a gargantuan Native sauntered in.

He tipped his head to the side to avoid striking it on the top of the doorframe, but I guessed he was the same height as the door without his boots.

Despite the early-December chill outside, Tak sported a black sleeveless shirt that revealed a deep scar on his right shoulder.

My eyes widened at his jewelry—a thick silver cuff with turquoise and orange stones, several necklaces layered, black feather earrings with diamond accents, and a number of rings.

Tak was an interesting fellow everyone in town knew.

He was hard to miss, what with the intricate tribal tattoos on the left side of his face.

Joy smiled at him before returning her attention to me. “We just got back from the new store to see how things are going. Hope’s organizing the displays while Tak’s pocketing her jewelry.”

“It’s not my fault,” he countered. “She hides the good stuff from me.”

“Well, soon you’ll be able to visit the store and buy it like everyone else.”

He put his hand on her shoulder. “Thanks to your generous contribution.”

I fastened the clues together. “You mean that new building up the road is yours?”

Tak readjusted the band at the end of his long braid. “My mate and her business partner. They’re opening a second location for Moonglow. Do you know of it?”

I shook my head. “No, but whatever it is, I can’t wait!”

His brow furrowed. “Even if it was a strip club?”

The room fell silent.

Tak threw back his head and rocked with laughter.

Joy’s eyes danced with amusement. “It’s a boutique. They have a store in Austin that sells custom-made jewelry, clothes, purses—you name it!”

“Sign me up.”

She adjusted her blond curls. “Stop in anytime, honey. We’d love to see you there on opening day.”

“When’s that?”

“We still have a lot to do, so we haven’t decided.”

After jotting down my number for Cecilia, I turned to leave.

“You’re just the person I was thinking about,” Tak said, calling my attention.

“Oh?” I played with the buttons on my brown sweater.

“I want to commission a piece in my living room. I’m not sure if colored windows will block the natural light, so we should talk when you have time.”